In recent years, in a medical institution such as a hospital, a method of introducing a specimen examination instrument, etc. by purchase has been shifted to a method referred to as “instrument lease and system sale” of introducing a specimen examination instrument by lease. In the latter method, reagents and consumables are sold at a price including a lease charge for the specimen examination instrument. A user makes a promise to purchase a certain amount of reagents or consumables during a certain number of measurements or during a certain period.
As compared with a conventional method in which a user purchases a specimen examination instrument, there is a merit that a medical institution can introduce a specimen examination instrument easily because the medical institution is not charged at one time for purchasing the instrument, and further because the instrument does not belong to the assets of the medical institution, so that the burden imposed on the medical institution that introduces the instrument is reduced.
However, in the case where the reagents or consumables become unusable before the assumed period or assumed number of measurements, the user of the instrument has to purchase reagents or consumables. Consequently, in fact, the user has to pay an extra lease charge for the instrument.